Archive for the ‘Konnarock Crew’ Category

Volunteers Needed for the Appalachian Trail Crew this Season

Thursday, April 19th, 2012
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is currently searching for volunteers, 18 and over, to help maintain the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) through their Konnarock and Smokies Wilderness Elite Appalachian Trail Crew (S.W.E.A.T.) programs. No previous Trail experience is required - just a desire to work hard, live in the backcountry and have a great time among new friends. All food, tools and equipment will be provided at no cost.

The Konnarock Crew was founded in 1983 and named after its original base camp in southwest Virginia. The crews work on the A.T. from Rockfish Gap, near Waynesboro, Virginia, to the Trail's southern terminus at Springer Mountain in Georgia. The program is a joint venture among the ATC, the 12 southern Trail clubs, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service. Crew members spend 5 days at a project campsite, working 8-hours a day, on Trail related work.

The ATC S.W.E.A.T. Crew is a mobile crew, carrying all food, tools and camping gear into the heart of the largest and most beautiful managed wilderness area in the east, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The crew focuses on the difficult trail problems that occur in the backcountry with the tools they carry in and the materials that they find. Each crew works six days in the field repairing the Trail, building steps, and clearing the Trail.

Both of these all-volunteer trail crews are led by paid trail crew professionals who teach volunteers trail stewardship and Leave No Trace skills during the multi-day adventure.

For more information about these Trail Crew programs or to volunteer, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Konnarock Crew works to relocate AT on Roan Highlands

Thursday, July 1st, 2010
For the last two years the Tennessee Eastman Hiking & Canoeing Club has been working to relocate the Appalachian Trail between Grassy Ridge and Bradley Gap, replacing the route originally installed in the 1950’s that basically goes straight up and down every summit.

Trail locations such as this along the fall line result in high erosion, especially in areas with heavy use, high precipitation, and soft soils, all characteristic of the Roan Highlands. The TEHCC is nearing completion of this project with two relocations remaining, one on either side of the Stan Murray Shelter.

In conjunction with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's Konnarock Crew, the TEHCC hopes to complete the project this summer and is looking for volunteers to help out.

There are two Crew work weekends left this year: July 8-12, and August 5-9.

The Crew arrives on Thursdays and will stay at the Overmountain Shelter. They finish up and break camp by Monday around lunchtime. Friday, Saturday, and Sundays are the best days for volunteers to help with those being full work days.

For more information, click here, or contact Joe DeLoach at 423-753-7263 or Carl Fritz at 423-477-4669.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.